Ugandans' gay wedding 'first' highlights Sweden asylum lottery

Published: 29 Jan 2013 15:28 GMT+01:00

A couple who claim to be the first Ugandan men to be legally married face an uncertain future after recently tying the knot in a Swedish church, with one facing possible deportation that the other fears could result in his husband's death.

Last weekend, Lawrence Kaala and Jimmy Sserwadda were all smiles as they exchanged vows in a crowded church in the north Stockholm suburb of Järfälla.

"It feels great," Sserwadda tells The Local after the wedding, which was attended by more than one hundred guests – including Sweden's EU Minister Birgitta Ohlsson.

"We had been separated in such a hostile environment; we didn't know if we'd ever see each other again."

The ceremony was supposed to be a fairy-tale ending to an improbable story for the two men who found themselves reunited in Sweden years after their relationship had been cut short due to persecution in their native Uganda.

"Uganda is about the worst place in the world to live as someone who is openly gay," Sserwadda explains.

But while Sserwadda's asylum application has been approved, Kaala learned just days before the ceremony that his application had been denied, meaning he will have to leave Sweden in two weeks if he doesn't file an appeal.

"If they put him on a plane to Uganda now, they will be sentencing him to death," says Sserwadda.

The two men had been in a long-term relationship in Uganda until one day in 2008 when Sserwadda suddenly fled the country shortly after being arrested and beaten for "promoting homosexuality".

"I didn't tell Lawrence. I know he would have insisted on coming with and that would have put our lives at risk. So I left him behind," he recalls.

Sserwadda ended up in Sweden and was granted asylum on account of the risks he faced as a gay man if he were to return to Uganda. He became active in the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights (Riksförbundet för homosexuellas, bisexuellas och transpersoners rättigheter – RFSL), helping other LBGT asylum seekers with their cases.

In the summer of 2011, Sserwadda's story was featured in Kom Ut, a magazine published by RFSL, as part of a piece which compared LBGT asylum cases to a lottery due to inconsistencies and a lack of knowledge on the part of officials at the Swedish Migration Board (Migrationsverket).

Unbeknownst to Sserwadda, a copy of the magazine landed in the hands of Kaala, who had also fled the increasingly threatening atmosphere in Uganda.

Through chance, Kaala also ended up in Sweden and was dumbfounded to see his former lover's picture plastered on a magazine cover three years after Sserwadda fled.

Kaala phoned Sserwadda who was equally surprised to hear from the man he assumed he'd never see again.

"I was shocked. I thought it was a joke," Sserwadda recalls.

"When we finally met in person, Lawrence said, 'Yes, darling it's me!' As we hugged he then asked me why I had left."

Sserwadda explained why he kept his plans to flee Uganda a secret and was soon forgiven for leaving his lover in the lurch. The two rekindled their former relationship, and began talking about having a wedding.

"If we could have gotten married in Uganda if we would have and when we found each other again here in Sweden it felt natural to go ahead with it," he says.

Despite learning that Kaala's asylum application had been rejected just days before the two were to walk down the aisle, they refused to allow the setback to dampen their spirits.

"We decided to focus on the wedding and worry about the possible deportation later," Sserwadda explains.

He adds he's frustrated that despite both he and Kaala being gay men from Uganda, where same-sex relationships are illegal and could be punishable by death under a proposed bill currently up for debate, their asylum cases have been treated differently by migration authorities in Sweden.

"They don't believe his story," he explains, despite Kaala having scars on his body that both claim came as a result of beatings suffered by Kaala because he is a homosexual.

According to RFSL chairwoman Ulrika Westerlund, the Migration Board has a long way to go in how it handles asylum applications from people claiming persecution on account of their sexual preferences.

"They haven't succeeded in ensuring that everyone who works on asylum cases involving LGBT applicants has the right knowledge and competence," she tells The Local.

While no official statistics exist on LGBT asylum cases in Sweden, RFSL provides assistance in around 60 to 70 cases a year, which the Migration Board estimates represents roughly one-third of the total, according to Westerlund.

"A lot of the rejections are strange. It's as if they have no concept of what LGBT asylum seekers face back home," she says, explaining that the success or failure of LGBT asylum cases often depends on the case worker assigned to review the application.

Officials at the migration agency claim they are playing close attention to the situation in Uganda and that the agency continues to work on a strategy for increasing workers' competence on gender and LGBT issues.

Westerlund adds that the wedding of Sserwadda and Kaala constitutes "new circumstances" which will be grounds for a planned appeal of the deportation order.

"News of the wedding has spread around the world, including to Uganda so it's much more dangerous there now," she explains.

While Kaala could now re-file his application to receive a Swedish residence permit on the basis of being married to Sserwadda, who is due to receive Swedish citizenship later this year, doing so would require to return to Uganda to file the required paperwork.

@ intrepidfox How about a heterosexual couple who don't want any children are they weird too? Most people want spend their life with someone they love, the children production part is just a little part of life not all of it. There is more to life than to produce children actually.

Do you say to your wife/husband/girlfried/boyfriend "I dont love you. I dont want to live with you. I dont want to spend time with you. The only reason I'm with you is to produce children. Probably not.

I don't understand why some people are so interested in other peoples love life, let people love each other if they want. Thats their business, not yours and not mine. I assume that they love each other as much as me and my boyfriend love each other. No difference.

Just by chance they both end up in Sweden? That is not chance, that is nearly improbable statistically. I call BS on this. I really do hope this is for real, otherwise they are the smartest asylum seekers I have seen to date!

This argument that people should be allowed to love anyone they want is as old as the hills. No one is saying that homosexual couples shouldn't be allowed to love each other - after all, that can't be controlled. The question is whether or not they should be allowed to get married.

Why do so many homosexuals think they're being oppressed by not being allowed to get married? If they're allowed to have a 'civil partnership', which grants them all the same legal rights as a married couple, then why must they insist on getting married? Can't they just accept that marriage is a unique union entered into between a man and a woman, and it's just not for them. There's nothing 'oppressive' or 'discriminatory' about that.

As a right-handed person, I don't expect to be able to join a left-handed club.

@ intrepidfox. Well if it were a sickness, like you seem to think, wouldn't all the gay people be on some sick leave or in hospitals then instead of going to work like heterosexual people? Love isn't a sickness. Why wouldn't there be a human race if homosexual people where allowed to love each other without being judged and percecuted? Do you believe that it would be less heterosexual people then or what? Do you think that homosexual people should be forced to marry heterosexual people? What's the point in that, that would only make both lives miserable. Or should homosexual people stay single all their lives? Or should they be killed or what? I don't get what you want? What is pushed in your face? There are probably a lot more heterosexual marriages that's pushed in your face than homosexual ones, aren't there?

@ Is marriage or no marriage really the question? For some people it seems to be to even let them exist, without getting judged or mocked. I think that to a lot of people, heterosexual or homosexual, marriage has a symbolic and deeper meaning, it's more than just legal rights. It's also about the terms, to be married, to call the person they love their husband or wife. In Sweden, where a lot of people are couples without getting married I think it's more acceptable for gay people not to get married, but there are countries where almost every adult who are in a couple are married, so then I guess it's more important to get married for people with such a background.

So TL deletes comments if they do not like them, Are we not allowed to write anything negative anymore. Is just an "i agree with everything" page even when the subject is controversial and in my views very sick

just one question, if one any one in the world faced life threatening because he/she is gay is that will qualify them to get Sweden lottery and became ''citizen in this country'' ?

I have no problems with ''gay people''.

I am far from being a racist but please '' Sweden is already a crowded place'' to host all fallow ''gay folks''

In fact, the number of anti-gay crimes rose even in democratic nations such as US, according to some reports is gun to 1,256 in 2011 from 1,206 in 1996. The vast majority of those anti-gay hate crimes are against men.

There is no legal base for gay couple to get ''asylum'' in Sweden because of hate crime against them or they did not get to get married. Most of the countries do not permit legal marriage.

Sweden is not a crowded place, far far from it, when last have you trekked out into the country side. In a month I go to visit some relatives in a town with 50% of the houses empty.

Asylum is open to people fleeing persecution, that is the main praxis regardless of what that persecution is, if they can be offered the opportunity to live out their lives in Sweden as economically and socially contributing residents and enjoy a freedom they could only have otherwise dreamed of, then why not.

In principle it is not much different from all the other migration reasons sambo, work, etc. same idea I am moving to Sweden because when I weighed my options, for whatever reason Sweden was the best one. I add to the population, etc in the same exact way, its not magically less because my "sambo" is a swedish citizen, etc.

As for these two guys, good on you hope you both get to stay and enjoy your life. Love is such an amazing thing. I think some people here keep forgetting that Swedish society has no special interest in who you love and that is one of the things that is so breathtaking to see everyday. Marriage is not even given any pivotal role its a personal wish between two adults who wish to commit to each other.

While these two men have the right to marry , they have no right to lie . There is a lot of exaggeration about how homosexuals are treated in Uganda . It is NOT TRUE that homesexuals are KILLED . One can say that homosexuals are despised but not persecuted . Yes , there is a law that criminalizes "sodomy " . This is a law that was created and left behind by Colonial Britain . Despite that , there is no record where a homosexual has been arrested , charged and sent to the main prison outside of Kampala . Right in the centre of one of Kampala night spots , there is a bar where homosexuals usually meet . There are no reports of the Police or the public going in to "kill" gays . One of the most audible advocates of homosexual rights is a Professor of law in the University . She has never been arrested , let alone killed as these men would like you to believe .

So , what is the problem ?

Well , it all about money ! . The gay community has put a lot of money behind its campain . Most of us know what money can do to a needy society . Before some of you wake , there will be thousands on "gay" people coming to Sweden under the guise of running away from "DEATH " .

I still think you lot who agree that this is normal are unnatural. It is a sickness that cannot be cured as gays have abnormal Chromosomes. I again say man and woman not man/man, woman/woman. If this had of been natural then there would be no more people in the world. Maybe that is how the Dinosaurs died out..

It's clear from current Ugandan policies and trends that the administration of that country would be absolutely hostile, even deadly, to an "out" homosexual man. To send Kaala back would be a crime. I wish them both well, and I'm glad that RFSL is doing its work to help the migration board stay informed (and humane!)

This is a new gimmick 'asylum seekers' are using to gain permanent status - getting married to someone the same gender, then you can claim 'persecution' back home. Wait and see, there will be a spate of such 'marriages'.

Why would there be no more people if some of them is homosexual? It does not affect the population. Do you really worry that human kind will be extinct when the planet is overpopulated?

Do you think that if homosexual people are allowed to live together, then heterosexual people will stop being heterosexual and become homosexual instead or what?

@tadchem

Most people don't share details about their sex life with the public. I can't see anything in this article that implies that this couple share any details about their sex life either. Or do you really mean that saying "I´m married, this is my husband" is to share a detail about ones sex life? If one gets offended every time someone says "I'm married", "I'm in a relationship" or "I'm single"and thinks that that person is sharing details about their sex life by saying so,one must get offended a lot.

@ Cmuthama@yahoo.com

Just because it considered a shame in those countries right now, it doesn't mean that it will always be that way. Societies and people are evolving, when they get better education there, when they see that their family member are happy and live a good life they might change their minds.

@ intrepidfox My perversions? What are those? I'm not aware if I have any perversions, but if I did, I wouldn't tell you, so don't worry. I'm a heterosexual woman, but that doesnt matter, I think that all people should have the right to spend their lifes together, if they want. Why should I stay at home? You are not making sense at all.

@ Jes You say that nothing will happen to this couple if they went back to Uganda. Did you also say that "Nothing is going to happen to David Kato"? He was gay and was killed in Uganda not long ago. I dont think you can garantee their safety. You are talking about some wife, but they dont have any wifes.

@ Children Of Adam. There are a lot of things that people do thats against the Bible, like eating shellfish and pork, get divorced, get married again if you are divorced, working on sundays, masturbating, wearing clothes in different materials, touching something made from pigs skin, like a football or a glove. Or get a tattoo. Or being born out of wedlock, or being the great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandchild of someone who was. Or to wear braids in your hair. Or wear gold or pearls. Or talk in a church if you are a woman.

It's not like the priest goes "Oh, I see, you are wearing a pearl necklace, are the greatgreatgreatgreatgreatgreatgranddaughter of a bastard, have a dress in two different materials and work on sundays you cant get married in a church!"

When listening to some Christians you could get the impression that like 99 % of the Bible are texts about homosexuality, almost like it's all there is, when it's not.

you people down here comaring hetero sexual to homosexuals are stupid not even stupidity thats worse hetero sexual are natural and god made man for woman the guy whos called prince t and emaralia or emaralda i dont know u guys you all know that homosexuality is a crime against all devine religions you compare ur self to heterosexuals who dont have kids heterosexuals who dont have kids are natural this is the effects of democracy supporting homosexuality and having sex broad daylight in busses n train n then complaining people are taking over your contries you shall pperish like the ones before you in codomo and gomoro

@Emerincia , I have been to Uganda . I can assure you 10000+% that David Kato`s killer is in prison . The Prison is called Luzira . It is on the shores of Lake Victoria just outside Kampala . David Kato was hit on the head by this man when they had a fight in Kato`s home in Mukono . Mukono is about 30 hour drive east of Kampala .

Kato`s was killed by someone he was friends with . CNN , BBC , or The Local can vist Luzira and interview the man .

I admit that I cannot guarantee anybody`s safety , but at least I can separate the truth from abvious lies .

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